Hailed "one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world" by the San Francisco Chronicle, m-pact is respected worldwide as a cutting edge trailblazer in the realm of vocal music. Emerging from an age of auto-tune and overproduction, this Los Angeles-based ensemble has cultivated a new generation of ears hungry for the fresh, raw power of nature's "first instrument" - the human voice. Their sophisticated sound & accessible appeal have garnered vast accolades, from Vocal Group of the Year (the LA Music Awards), an Indie nomination (the Independent Grammy), & Artist of the Year (Seattle Music Awards), to Grand National Champs of the Harmony Sweepstakes competition.

1996 Harmony Sweepstakes winners m-pact are back with this, their second CD. Two new members have joined the group: Britt Quentin and Greg Whipple. Britt's tenor voice-and-soul are shown to impressive advantage in the Earth, Wind & Fire song "Fantasy," the album's only cover. The original songs demonstrate an R&B sensibility, coupled with pop hooks. The standout songs are "Hold On My Heart" and "Without Your Love," which combines great material, a powerhouse vocal (by Greg), and an exceptional bass performance. In general the bass is placed and articulated so that it really fills up the bottom end, and is one of the main reasons this CD feels so good. We expected no less!

The Seattle quintet m-pact is just one of the best - and hippest - contemporary groups on the scene today. With unerring musical discernment, they drafted some of the most savvy arrangers to collaborate with them on "A Carol Commission": Randy Crenshaw, Michelle Weir, Yumiko Matsuoka-Young, Morgan Ames, Cedric Dent (of Take 6) et cetera. This marriage of technique and talent has propagated a fusion sound: the harmonic nucleus of jazz, but with so much more. Of the six tracks available for preview at presstime, the standouts are the "Little Drummer Boy," arranged by m-pact's own Matthew Selby; marked with vocal percussion, it has a retro seventies funk feel, a feel associated with the seventh and major/minor third of the blues pentatonic scale, which can be readily heard in the Motown-influenced bass line. "Caroling, Caroling," arranged by Randy Crenshaw, toys with meter amongst the parts, moving in and out of straight time and varying the rhythmic accents in unexpected places, like the handclap on the four, not the one of the beat. "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" is incredible: a hip-hop jazz interpretation of this classical standard. "A Carol Commission" is an audacious project of most challenging musical caliber!

OK lets take it from the top. That must have been what someone told this quintet of men and they heard, "lets start at the top," instead. That's what they did all right. After just a few months together they entered the Harmony Sweepstakes and won! This release was recorded later that year to satisfy the clamor of fans everywhere. There are some slow ones, some fast ones, and two which have become signature tunes, "Got A Friend?" and "Change In My Life." Other memorable originals are "All Of My Love," "If I Lost You" and "Why Can't We?"

A live recording of m-pact, one of our favorite pop/jazz vocal ensembles of all time, at Seattle's Triple Door-what a treat!! Since being named 1996-97 Harmony Sweeps champs and Audience Favorite, m-pact has been wowing appreciative audiences all over the world, including several memorable appearances at the West Coast Summit. Finally, the signature sound and eclectic musical tastes of this internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning vocal sensation are down on plastic. The song selection dances from soaring soul like a marvelous arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," "Ain't Nobody," "Still the One" and Willie Dixon's "29 Ways;" and sophisticated jazz like Miles Davis' "All Blues" and the salsa scattish "Northeast Wind;" to fresh pop originals like "u nee 2 no" and the jazzy "found a love in you," written by brilliant alto lead Britt Quentin. The disco tune "Boogie Oogie Oogie" becomes a vocal percussion showcase for Trist Curless' flawless beat-box, and "If We Try" highlights Britt's pure, soaring, almost unbelievable range, as does a jazz interpretation of Cole Porter's "Night and Day." "Live" continues with the jazzy, ultra-hip "What If We Was Cool," a surprising jazz interpretation of the pop anthem "Higher and Higher," and closes with an incongruous, but lovely cover of Bach's "How Shall I Fitly Greet Thee." Everyone who has had the one-of-a-kind experience of seeing and hearing m-pact live, and knows what a gift that is, will appreciate what has been captured on these two discs. Brilliant, stunning, and highly recommended!

One of our favorite groups on the planet from the first time we saw them on the stage of the Harmony Sweeps Finals, easily taking Audience Favorite and the National Championship, (then 5-man, now 6) jazz-pop m-pact continues to push the a cappella envelope with their unique, amazing sound. "m-pact," their 5th recording, was recorded at m-pact studios in LA, and is proudly distributed exclusively by Primarily A Cappella Records. The tagline on "m-pact," "experience the voice," refers to the pure, sumptuous tenor/soprano of Britt Quentin, whose creative arrangements, production and even engineering are evident on all 14 tracks. Especially fine are his arrangements that reinvent classics such as Cole Porter's "Night and Day," Rogers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things," "Over the Rainbow," Lerner & Lowe's "Almost Like Being In Love," "Bluesette," the Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving," and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life." The opening cut is "You Need to Know," a sassy, walking-jazz original by Britt, who also shines on lead. He also wrote (or co-wrote) and sings lead on the mellow finger-snapper "I Found A Love In You" and vocal percussion gem "I Thought You Cared For Me." Trist, Marco, Jake, Rudy and Jeff and their own incredible vocal talents to a smooth, sophisticated recording that surprises and touches on many levels, that we found ourselves replaying again and again to fully appreciate-in short, a masterpiece!